Relay



May 19, 1942 c:. N. HICKMAN' ETAL RELAY Filed June 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! FIG. 3

FIG. 4

C. N. H/C/(MA/V INVENTORS E LAKATOS ATTORNEY May 19, 1942. c. N. HICKMAN ETAL RELAY Filed June 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 F/G.8 53 \i C N. H/CKMAN #vmvrom E LAKATOS A TTORNEV Patented May 19, 1942 RELAY Clarence. N. Hickman, Jackson Heights, and Emory Lakatos, New York, N. Y., assignors to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 4, 1941, Serial No. 396,520

7 Claims.

This invention relates torelays, and more particularly to a combined line and cut-off relay structure of the general type disclosed in the application of Serial No. 367,341 of E. Lakatos filed November 27, 1940,. in which the work circuits controlled by the relay are established by the conductive engagement of reedv armatures with core or field members.

In telephone systems, and particularly in systems of /the step-by-step type each subscriber's line is provided with a line relay and a cut-off relay, the two windings of the line relay being energizable in a circuit extending from the terminals of the central 'ofiic-e battery over two pairs of normally closed contacts of the cut-off relay and the calling line loop when the calling subscriber closes the line loop at his substation to initiate a call. The line relay upon energizing is instrumental in closing two pairs of contact springs, over one pair of which a circuit is established to start an idle line finder in search of the calling line and over the other pair of which the winding of the cut-off relay is connected to the tester sleeve conductor of the calling line terminating in multipled bank terminals of all line finders having access to the calling line. When the started line finder finds the calling line and its test brush encounters the test multiple of such line,'thecircuit prepared by the operated line relay for the cut-off relay is completed and thecut-off relay operates to open its two pa rs of normally closed contacts to thereby disconnect the windings of the line relay from the calling line loop. It also closes a third pair of contacts whereby the cut-off relay locks itself to the circuit completed over the test brush of the line finder and is thus maintained operated following the release of the linerelay resulting from the disconnection of the windings thereof from the calling line loop.

Some suggestions have heretofore been made for combinin the line and cut-off relays into a single unit to effect savings in manufacturing and installation c sts and to effect a saving in mounting space. Since several thousands of both line and cut-off relays are required each year to meet the no m al expansion of installed telephone ofiices and. to meet the normal demand for new cilice installati ns, it is apparent that a relay structure which would perform. all of the functions of both the line and cut-oil relays in a reliable manner, and which could be simplified to such an extent as to effect material manufacturing, installation and maintenance costs, would be of great value.

It is therefore the object of the present inven tion to simplify the structural details of a combined line and cut-off relay assembly, to reduce thereby the costs of manufacture, installation and maintenance and to effect more reliable operation.

To attain this object the relay assembly in accordance with the present invention is provided with a double wound line relay coil and a cut-off relay coil disposed side by side with their axes parallel, an E-shaped core lamination having two of its arms extending through the two coils respectively and having its third and wider arm serving as a support, an L-shaped reed armature lamination, the short arm of which serves as a support and the long arm of which may be attracted into conductive engagement with the core arms of the core lamination, a c-shaped reed armature lamination, one arm of which serves as a'support and the other arm of which extends through the line relay coil and is attractable into conductive engagement with the end of the long arm of an associated field lamination, two C- shaped reed armature laminations each having one arm extending through the cut-off relay coil and each having its other arm serving as a support, and two field laminations cooperating therewith and each having an end portion of permanently magnetized material whereby the associated reed armatures are normally attracted into conductive engagement with such field laminations. These laminations are clamped between clamping plates which are provided with arms extending into the coils and serving as supports therefor and the laminations are insulated from each other and from the clamping plate by interposed strips or laminations of insulating material.

The windings of the line relay coil are normally connected over the reed armature laminations extending through the cut-oil relay coil and normally engaged with their associated field laminations whereby such line relay coil may be energized overacalling line loop upon the closure of such loop at the line substation. When the line relay coil becomes energized it operates the reed armature extending therethrough into engagement with its associated field lamination to establish a circuit for starting a line finder or for performing any other desired function and also magnetizes the core arm extending through such coil to attract the associated reed armature whereby the cut-off relay coil becomes connected to an operating circuit therefor which may, for example, extend to a test terminal in the bank cooperation with the field lamination of Fig. 8;

whereby the windingsof the line relay coil bev come disconnected from the calling line loop and therefore deenergized to release the reed armature extnding the'rethrough from the associated field lamination to open the line-finder start circuit. v

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a relay assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the relay disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the core lamination;

Fig. 4 shows a reed armature laminationfor cooperation with the core lamination of Fig. 3;;

Fig. 5 shows a coil terminal lug lamination;

Fig. 6 shows a field lamination;

Fig. 7 shows a reed armature lamination for cooperation with the field lamination of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows a field lamination having an end portion of permanent magnetic material;

Fig. 9 shows a reed armature lamination for and v Fig. 10 illustrates the circuit application of the relay assembly.

To more clearly disclose the invention the re lay illustrated has been drawn to approximately double scale.

The relay is provided with a coil assembly comprising a line relay coil I having two equal windings and a cut-01f relaycoil 2, both mounted side by side with their axes parallel on a common spoolhead or mounting plate 3 of suitable insulating material, such as fiber or hard rubber,

Riteted to the plate 3, adjacent to its upper and;

\ lower edges and near therear end thereof, are two sets of barrel rivets or studs 4, 5 and 6, and

L9 and 9 of conductingmaterial to which the ends of the windings of the coils I and 2 are connected, the terminals of one winding of the line relay coil being connected to the studs 4 and 6, the terminals of the other winding of the line relay coil beingconnected to the studs 8 and 9 and the terminals of the winding of the cut off relay coil being connected to the studs 5 and 8.

The coil assembly is supported on the arms of two clamping plates I0 and H which niay be stamped from brass or other non-magnetic material. Each clamping plate is substantially E- shaped having one widened arm 12 and two narrower arms l3and M of sufiicient'width to extend through the'rectangular openings through the coils and 2 and through the" rectangular openings [5 and "5 through the/coil assembly mounting plate 3 and of suiilcient length to ex-.

tend just beyond theouter/faces of the coils. The clamping plates'are each provided with a hole located centrally of its supporting arm l2 through which a clamping screw I1 is insertable as will later be described. The upper plate It! is also provided with a rearwardly extending portion l8 which extends downwardly at right angles to form a bracket 19 by means of which the relay assembly may be supported on a relay mounting rack. To enable the assembly to be secured to the relay rack the bracket portion H! has two embossments 20 formed therein through which threaded holes extend for the reception of screws.

Assembled between the two clamping plates I0 and II are a plurality of reed armature, core and leld laminations of magnetic material, a ground terminal lug 2!, a battery terminal and back stop member 61, and interposed strips or laminations of insulating material. The terminal lug 2| shown in detail in Fig. 5 is stamped from. a nickel silver sheet and is assembled in conductive engagement with the upper mounting plate I!) and thus when the relay is mounted on the relay rack serves as the grounded terminal of the relay. This lug has a. hole 22 centrally disposed therein through which the clamping screw- I! may extend and is provided with a narrow extension 23 for connection with the stud 6 of the coil assembly as best disclosed in Fig. 2. Assembled adjacent to the terminal lug 2| is a square strip or lamination 24 of suitable insulating material, such as fiber or hard rubber,

having a cehtrally located hole therethrough for the reception of. the clamping screw l1 and which serves to insulate the lug 2| from the core lamination 25 assembled adjacent to the insulating lamination 24. The core lamination 25 is stamped from a suitable sheet of magnetic material, such as silicon steel inch thickness, into the. E shape best disclosed in Fig. 3. One arm 26 of the core lamination is substantially square, has a hole 21 centrally located therein for the reception of the clamping screw l1 and has a forwardly extending portion 28 for connection with the stud ,5 of the coil assembly as bestdisclosed in Fig. 2. The other two arms 29 and 30 serve as core pole-pieces and extend through the openings through the coils l and 2, respectively. Each of these arms has a bar 3| of contact material welded or otherwise 1 ing material, similar to the lamination 24, is a 4 reed armature lamination, 33.

This lamination is stamped from a sheet of magnetic material,

I, has a hole 35- centrally such as silicon steel of approximately .014 inch thickness, into the L shape best disclosed in Fig. 4. One'arm 34 thereof is substantially square, v located therein for the reception of the clamping screw I! and has a rearwardly extending soldering terminal 36, and the other arm thereof extends forwardly adjacent and parallel to the coil assembly plate 3 and overlying the ends .of the core arms 29 and 30. Welded or otherwise secured to the face of the arm 85 adjacent to the core arms 29 and 30 are two bars 31 of contact material which are positioned to cooperate with the contact bars 3| on the core arms 29 and 30 but which are'normally out of engagement therewith;

Positioned in the assembly and insulated from the field lamination 33 by an interposed insulating lamination 38, similar to the insulating lamination 24, is a field lamination 39. This lamination is stamped from a sheet of magnetic material, such as silicon steel of approximately .028 inch thickness, into the L shape best disclosed in of approximately .028"

Positionedin the assembly and insulated from 1 the reed armature 60 by an interposed insulating for the reception of the clamping screw H and has a rearwardly extending soldering terminal 42, and the other arm 43 thereof extends forwardly adjacent and parallel to the coil assembly plate 3. Welded to one face of the arm 43 near its end, are two bars 44 of contact material.

Positioned in the assembly for cooperation with .the field lamination 39" and insulated'therefrcm by an interposed insulating lamination 45, simi-.-'-

lar to the insulating lamination 24, is a reed armature lamination 46. This lamination is stamped from a sheet of magnetic material, such as silicon steel, of approximately .014 inch thickness, into the C shape best disclosed in Fig. 7. One arm 41 thereof is substantially square, has. a hole 48 centrally located therein for the reception of the clamping screw l1 and has a rearwardly extending soldering terminal 49, and the other parallel arm 50 of which extends freely through the line relay coil i with its end opposite to the end of arm 43 of the field lamination 39. This arm is bifurcated-and is provided near the end of eachportion thus formed with a bar 5| of contact material welded or otherwise secured pole-piece section 55 of a permanent magnet steel of approximately .028 inch thickness, such as Vicalloy. The rear section is L-shaped, the forwardly extending arm of which is welded to the magnet section 55 and the other arm of which is substantially square with a centrally located hole 56 therethrough for the reception of the clamping screw l1 and with a forwardly extending portion 51 which engages with the stud 4 carried by the coil assembly plate 3 as best dis-' closed in Fig. 2. The arm 54 with the magnet section 55 welded thereto extends forwardly parallel to the plate ,3 and the face of the magnet section is provided near its outer end with a pair of bars 58 of contact material welded thereto.

Cooperating with this field lamination and insulated therefrom by an interposed insulating lamination 59 similar to the lamination 24, is a reed armature lamination 60. This lamination is stamped from a sheet of magnetic material,

such as silicon steel, of approximately .014 inch thickness, into the C shape best disclosed in Fig.

lamination 55, similar to the lamination 24, is a back stop memberfil of substantially the same shape as the field lamination 53 disclosed in Fig. 8. The stop member may be stamped from a sheet of silicon steel of approximately .028 inch thickness and has a forwardly extending arm portion in the. end of which .a'stud 68 of insulating material issecured and against one end of which the bifurcated end of armature arm 64 is moved when the coilv 2 is energized and which thus serves to limit the movement .of the end of the armature arm. The rear portion of the stop member is substantially squalic, having a centrally located hole therein for. receiving the clamping screw I'l, having a forwardly extending portion 69 for connection with the stud 8 of the coil assembly plate 3 andhaving a rearwardly extending soldering terminal 10.

Positioned between the back stop member 51 and the clamping plate II are another reed armature lamination 1|, similar to the armature lamination 60, and an associated field lamination 12 similar to the field lamination 53a These laminations are insulated from the back stop member 61, from each other and from the clamp ing plate I I by interposed insulating laminations l3, l4 and 15, similar to the insulating lamination 24. The rear portions of the laminations II and 12 and the insulating laminations I3, 14 and 15 are provided with holes centrally. located therein for the reception of a clamping screw H. The armature lamination TI is provided with a rearwardly extending soldering terminal I6 and with the bifurcated arm 11 which extends freely through the cut-off relay coil! and is normally After all of the laminationsf have been assem-- bled between the clamping'plates l0 and H, the

9; One arm 6| thereof is substantially square,

has a hole 62 centrally located therein for the reception of the clamping screw I1 and has a rearwardly extending soldering terminal 53, and the other parallel bifurcated arm 64 of which extends freely through, the cut-off relay coil 2 with the contact bars 65' thereof normally engaged with the contact bars 58 of the field lamination 53. Due to the magnetization of the'per--- I to engage its contact bars 65 with the contact bars 58 with the necessary back contact pressure.

screw I1 is inserted through the aligned holes in the clamping plate I0 and inall of the laminations into a threaded hole in the lower clamping plate [I and then tightened. Preferably a the laminations 22, 25, 53, 51 and 12, respectively, may be connected in any desired manner as by.

soldering to the studs 6, 5, 4, 8 and 9, respectively,

thus completing all of the internal wiring between the line and cut-off relay portions of the assembly.

Fig". 10 illustrates the improved relay assembly applied to a line circuit of a stcp-by-stepdia'l'ing system in which the substation of the'line is schematically shown by the circle BI and a,;line finder having access to the calling line terminals the coil mounting I is schematically indicated at 82. When the relay assembly is installed on the line, the tip and ring conductors are connected to the soldering terminals 63 and of the armature laminations 6G and ll, the sleeve terminal 83 of the line ap- Difil'li'lg on the line-finder bank is connected to the soldering terminal 36 of the armature lamina tion 33, the conductors of the line-finder start circuit are connected to the soldering terminals 42 and 49 of the field lamination 39 and of the armature lamination 46, the central office ground bus-bar is connected through the relay rack to the lamination 2| and thence to the line relay coil terminal stud 6 and the battery bus-bar is connected to the soldering terminal 10 of the back stop member 61. A

When the subscriber at substation 8| initiates a call and closes his line loopQa circuit is established from battery over member 61, stud 8, right winding of line relay coil l, stud 9, field lamination T2, the arm 18 of which is normally engaged with the arm 11 of the armature lamination' ll, thence over the line loop, returning over the armature lamination 60, the arm 84" of which is normally engaged with the arm 55 of the field lamination 53, stud 4, thence through the loft winding of the line relay coil l, stud 6 to ground over the terminal lamination 2|. The coil I is thereupon energized to magnetize the core arm 29 of the field lamination to thereby attract the arm 85 of the armature lamination 33 into engagement therewith and to magnetize the arm 50 of the armature lamination 46 whereby it becomes attracted into engagement with the pole-piece arm 43 of the field lamination 49.

The enga ement of the contacts of the arms 43 and 50 establishes the line-finder start circuit to start an idle line finder and the engagement of the contacts of arr n with the contacts of arm 85 prepares a circuit for the cut-off relay coil extending from/ the battery bus-bar over member 61, stud 8, hrough the winding of cutoff relay coil 2, st d 5, the arm 29 of the core lamination 25 now in engagement with the arm 85. of the'armature lamination 33, to the sleeve 1 terminal 83;

If it be assumed that the Iine'finder 82 is start d. when its test brush 84 encounters the terminal 83 of the calling line the circuit thus traced for the cut-off relay coil will be completed, l

whereupon the cut-off relay coil will magnetize .the core arm 30 of the core lamination 25, in

the same sense as the line relay coil has magnetized the core arm 29, to hold the arm 85 of the armature lamination 33 firmly in contact therew th and will so magnetize the arms 64 and 11 of the armature laminationsfifl and TI that they will be repelled from the permanent magnet ends and T8 of the field laminations 53 and 12, to thereby disco inect the windings of the line relav coil l r 2m the calling line loop. The line relay coil will thereupon be deenergized to release the arm of armature lamination 46 from ena ement with the arm 43 of t e field lamination 39 to open the line-finder s rt circuit and to thus arrest the hunting moyement of the line finder 82 and to discontinue the magnetic attraction between the core arm 29.0f the core lamination 25 and the armature arm 85 of the armature lamination 33. Relay coil 2 is, however, maintained locked to its operatingcircuit by the continued engagement of the arm 30 of the core lamination with the arm 85 of the armature lamination 25.

What is claimed is:

1. In a relay assembly, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom, a first relay coil surrounding one of said arms, a second relay coil surrounding the other of said arms, an armature lamination having a reed portion cooperating with said arms, a field lamination, a second armature lamination having a reed portion extending freely through said second relay coil and cooperating with said field lamination, two additional field laminations, two armature laminations having reed portions extending freely through said first relay coil and cooperating respectively with said additional field laminations, insulating laminations interposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

2. 'In a relay assembly, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom, a first relay coil surrounding one of said arms, a second relay coil surrounding the other of said arms, an armature lamination having a reed portion cooperating with said arms, a field lamination, a second armature lamination havinga reed portion extending freely through said second relay coil and coopcrating with said field lamination, two additional field laminations each having a permanently magnetized polepiece, two armature laminations having reed. portions extending freely through said first relay coil and normally attracted into conductive engagement with the pole-pieces of said additional field laminations and repellable therefrom upon the energization of said first relay coil, insulating laminations interposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

3. In a relay assembly, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom, a first relay coil surrounding one of said arms, a second relay coil surrounding the other of said arms, an armature lamination having a reed portion attractable to either ergization of said second relay coil, two additional I field laminations each having a permanently magnetized pole-piece, two armature laminations having reed portions extending freely through said first relay coil and normally attracted into conductive engagement with the pole-pieces of said additional field laminations and repellable therefrom ,upon the energization of said first relay coil. insulating laminations interposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

4. In a relay assembly, two clamping plates each having two coil supporting arms extending at right angles therefrom, a first relay coil and a second relay coil supported on said arms, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom through said coils, an armature lamination having a reed portion attractable to either of said core arms upon the energization of the associated coil, a field lamination, a second armature lamination having a reed portion extending freely through said second relay coil and attractable to said field lamination upon the energization of said second relay coil. two additional neld laminations each having a permanently magnetized pole-piece, two armature laminations having reed portions extending freely through said first relay coil and normally attracted into conductive engagement with the pole-pieces of said additional field laminations and repellable therefrom upon the energization of said first relay coil, insulating laminations interposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations, means for clamping all of said laminations between said clamping plates and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

5. In a relay assembly, two clamping plates each having two coil supporting arms extending at right angles therefrom, a coil assembly supported on said arms comprising a spoolhead and a first relay coil and a second relay coil secured thereto and surrounding the arms of said plates, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom through said coils, an armature lamination having a reed portion attractable to either of said core arms upon the energization of the associated coil, a field lamination, a second armature lamination having a reed portion extending freely through said second relay coil and attractable to said field lamination upon the energization of said second relay coil, two additional field laminations each havingv a permanently magnetizedpole-piece, two armature laminations having reed portions extending freely through said first relay coil and normally attracted into conductive engagement with the pole-pieces of said additional field laminations and repellable therefrom upon the energization of said first relay coil, insulating laminations inicrposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations, means for clamping all of said laminations between said clamping plates, and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

'6. In a relay assembly, two clamping plates each having two coil supporting arms extending at right angles therefrom, a coil assembly supported on said arms comprising an\ insulating mounting plate, a first relay coilv and a second relay coil secured thereto and surrounding the arms of said clamping plates and studs secured to said mounting plate and to which the terminals of the windings of said coils are connected, a core lamination having a pair of pole arms extending at right angles therefrom through said coils and having an extension engaged with one of said studs, an armature lamination having a reed portion attractable to either of said core arms upon the energization of the associated coil, a field lamination, a second armature lamination having a reed portion extending freely through said second relay coil and attractable to said field lamination upon the energization of said second relaycoil, two additional field laminations each having a permanently magnetized polepiece and an extension engaged with another of said studs, two armature laminations having reed portions extending freely through said first relay coil and normally attracted into conductive engagement with the pole-pieces of said additional field laminations and repellable therefrom upon the energization of said first relay coil, a back-stop lamination interposed between said latter armature laminationsand having an extension engaged with another of said studs, insulating laminations interposed between adjacent ones of said other laminations, means for clamping all of said laminations between said clamping plates, and contacts on said field and core laminations and on the reeds which cooperate therewith.

7. In a relay assembly, a core lamination having a pair of parallelly disposed pole arms extending therefrom, a first relay coil surrounding one of said arms, a second relay coil surrounding the other of said arms, an armature lamination having a reed port-ion cooperating with the polar ends of both of said arms and attractable to either of said arms upon the energization of the associated coil, cooperating contacts on said arms and on said reed portion, an insulating lamination interposed between said other laminations and means to clamp said laminations together.

CLARENCE N. HICKMAN. EMORY LAKATOS. 

